earl
noun
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
Showing results for earl.
Search instead for
Eagl.
earl
1 American
[url]
/ ɜrl /
noun
-
earls
plural
-
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
-
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a governor of one of the great divisions of England, including East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex.
Earl
2
American
[url]
/ ɜrl /
Or
Earle
noun
earl
British
/ ɜːl /
noun
-
Female equivalent: countess. (in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
-
(in Anglo-Saxon England) a royal governor of any of the large divisions of the kingdom, such as Wessex
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of earl
before 900; Middle English erl, Old English eorl; cognate with Old Saxon erl man, Old Norse jarl chieftain
Explanation
An earl is a member of the British nobility. An earl is ranked above a viscount or a baron, in case you know those titles. Earl certainly carries more clout than "Mister"! One of the ceremonial titles given to noblemen in the United Kingdom is earl. Being an earl used to come with a great deal of power and control over a certain region, including the authority to pass judgment in courts of law. While it's still prestigious to be an earl, there's less actual power involved in the position. The word itself comes from the Old English word eorl, "brave man, warrior, leader, or chief."
Vocabulary lists containing earl
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Spencer—an earl, historian and former NBC journalist—in his book “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister” has again swung the spotlight back to that difficult time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
They refer to the "much-married" earl as getting out his "crested carving knives".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Similarly, the earl of Peterborough's son refused both to remove his hat and to enter a plea when tried for treason in 1658.
From Science Daily ● May 7, 2026
Once, it is said, an earl stormed into Holbein’s London workshop demanding that the artist paint his portrait at once.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
“Easy as falling off a log,” cried the earl, falling off a log with a loud thump.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
Earl Spencer has apologised to Piers Morgan over a factual error in his new book about Diana, Princess of Wales.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
On Monday, Morgan had said he would sue Earl Spencer and his publishers over "fabricated inaccuracies".
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
The photographs of Princess Diana mentioned in relation to Morgan in Earl Spencer's book were published by the Sunday Mirror on 7 November 1993.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Earl Spencer talks about how little he cares for "archaic" titles for the aristocracy or royals.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
“Wait till you hit the hundreds,” says the Vampire, Mr. Earl.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Its inhabitants are those of “there will always be an England” England: stern vicars, timid curates, lords and earls, penniless titled wastrels living on allowances from their uncles, imperious aunts, upper-crust twits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2025
A duke is the highest ranking member of the English nobility, followed by marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons.
From New York Times ● Mar. 10, 2023
The tradition caught on and English colleges became diploma mills for earls and barons who never cracked a book or scribbled on parchment in their storied halls.
From Washington Times ● May 9, 2018
The list was spattered with landowners, containing 11 dukes, six marquises, 14 earls and nine viscounts.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2013
Impressed by what they saw, the earls introduced cannons to the English army, which adopted them enthusiastically and already used them against French soldiers at the battle of Crecy six years later.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
